INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS TASTER SESSION

This taster session is a unique opportunity for participants to learn both traditional Buddhist mindfulness as well as modern mindful approaches (MBSR and MBCT) as taught and designed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the stress reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts. You will have the opportunity to learn about the history of mindfulness as taught by Buddha 2,600 years ago and learn more about the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and the 8 week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course for depression.

During the taster session, we will explore several different mindfulness techniques including: ·

Mindfulness of Breathing meditation

Body Scan

Breathing Space

Mindful Movement

These techniques can help with managing stress, anxiety, negative thoughts and difficult moments in your everyday life.

*If you are considering attending the 8 week MBSR or MBCT course, this taster session is a great introduction to mindfulness based approaches.

Our MBSR courses are currently held at the Glasgow Caledonian university, Hillhead library,University of Glasgow and Mindfulness centre in Maryhill.

Advance booking is recommended as there are only 6 places for this taster session.

The 8 week MBSR (Mindfulness based Stress Reduction Course) provides a participatory learning experience with the practice of a variety of Mindfulness Meditation Techniques including:

Breath

Body awareness

Movement exercises, and the application of Mindfulness into everyday life.

Learning from an 8 week MBSR course can include

The skill of paying attention, on purpose and non-judgementally, to what goes on in the present moment in your body, mind, and the world around you.

Shifting perspectives and seeing things in a new more helpful way for you and those around you.

Improved confidence in yourself and ability to face life challenges

Improved self-care and relationships with others

Improved creativity and problem solving skills.

An improved capacity to manage stress

A calmer outlook in daily live

A sense of improved physical, emotional and psychological well being

The course is entirely secular based upon the research and findings of Jon Kabat-Zinn.

The MBSR coursehas gone from strength to strength, with critical acclaim and support from the international medical community. Here within the UK, the Mental Health Foundation has lent its support and endorsed the course.

The course is taught over eight 2 hour sessions at weekly intervals including an additional all day session.

All our courses at the Centre for Mindfulness take place in very small groups. The maximum number of participants is 08.

Courses run out side the centre may be different. As well as being taught Mindfulness practices you have the opportunity to discuss these and your experience of practice with the group.

In addition to attending the course participants should be aware that home practice is also an important part of the course, and time should be set aside each day to practice Mindfulness.

This can be integrated into daily routines quite simply e.g. several times throughout the day take 5 Mindful breaths. Approach an activity mindfully e.g. brushing your teeth, eating a meal.

All our teachers adhere to the Good Practice Guidancefor Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses published by the UK Network of Mindfulness-Based Teacher Trainers.

This course is for women experiencing postnatal depression and thanks to funding from The Big Lottery we are able to offer this course free of charge.

To book your place, you can either get a referral letter from your GP or do a self-referral by calling and speaking to our course leader then booking your place online.

What is MBCT?At Glasgow Mindfulness Centre the MBCT course is delivered jointly by a CBT therapist, who has mindfulness training, and a Buddhist monk who has traditional and modern mindfulness training in healthcare and education from the University of Bangor. This is the only MBCT Course in the UK jointly facilitated by a CBT therapist and a Buddhist monk.

The 8 week MBCT course integrates Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This was developed to help people suffering from depression and again has a strong scientific evidence base and is recognised by NICE in the treatment of depression.

MBCT is about increasing awareness of physical sensations, thoughts and feelings as mental events. There are similarities to the content of the MBSR course however; the aim for those attending has a focus on:

People being more familiar with the workings of their mind

Identifying time and situations when there is a risk of getting caught in old habits of mind that can lead to low mood and depression.

To explore ways of being released old habits and, considering a new way of being in the world and with others.

To become aware of the pleasure and beauty in the world as opposed to focusing on negative internal thought patterns.

To be kind to yourself and appreciate the moment and not waste energy wishing things were different.

To have a balance and not be driven to achieve impossible goals.

To have a kinder inner voice and have a sense of peace and to stop the internal battle with yourself.

To accept yourself and others as they are and be less judgmental of you and them.

To learn forgiveness is a door which can set you free.

MBCT has more focus on particular areas where a person maybe vulnerable or suffer a specific condition e.g. depression. MBCT is more looking at the psychological and cognitive aspects of experiences participants may have.

Within a MBCT course there can also be information shared on conditions which participants experience e.g. depression so that people have a greater awareness and insight into the condition and through the use of MBCT are more able to recognise relapse points and so better self-manage their condition.

The course is taught over eight 2 hour sessions at weekly intervals including an additional all day session.

The course is taught in a group ranging from 4-8 people.

As well as being taught Mindfulness practices you have the opportunity to discuss these and your experience of practice with the group.

In addition to attending the course participants should be aware that home practice is also an important part of the course, and time should be set aside each day to practice Mindfulness. This can be integrated into daily routines quite simply.

All our teachers adhere to the Good Practice Guidance for Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses published by the UK Network of Mindfulness-Based Teacher Trainers.

We currently offer two MBCT Courses.

Mindfulness Training (MBCT) for Mothers

This MBCT Course is aimed at mothers who are experiencing postnatal depression, stress or anxiety. This course is fully funded, there is no charge for mothers that wish to attend (not available in 2017).

MBCT with Dr. Alistair Wilson and Bhante Rewatha

This course is aimed at health professional that wish to develop both their personal and professional practice. The cost of this course is £200.

The funds raised by this MBCT Course will be used to deliver Mindfulness Teacher Training in Sri Lanka.

This workshop is a great introduction to mindfulness and the mindfulness based approaches (MBSR and MBCT) as taught and designed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. We will also be learning about how mindfulness can be used in healthcare and education.

You will have the opportunity to experience all the different mindful meditation techniques from the mindfulness courses:

*If you are considering attending the 8 week MBSR or MBCT course, with the intention of personal or professional development, this workshop is a great introduction to mindfulness based approaches.

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Mindfulness Retreat 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

The retreat is for people who have completed the 8 week MBSR course, have attended a workshop or already have some mindfulness experience.

A retreat is an opportunity to reduce our distractions and focus on deepening our experience of a particular practice. You will guided through the four foundations of mindfulness in a silent and supportive environment and have the opportunity to really experience the peacefulness that mindfulness can bring.

Please wear loose clothes so that you will be comfortable to sit, lie down and perform simple yoga and qigong exercises.

Feedback from the July 2015 retreat participants:

“A real sense of peace and calm.”

“ I found today very soothing and restorative.”

“I have found that I have been able to let go of thoughts both past and present in today’s retreat. This is a big step for me as I tend to hold onto things that build up over a series of months.”

*All profits from the Day Retreat will be donated to our Sri Lankan children’s charity Mindful Kids Preschool and used to buy the children school bags and stationary for their new academic year starting in January.

Mindfulness Masterclass and Practice Group

The aim of this Master class and practice group is to provide support for people who have completed the 8 week MBSR /MBCT courses to maintain their practice. It will give mindfulness practitioners a friendly place to meet their ‘mindful buddies’ and their teachers.

We try to organise this two-hour session on the first Friday of each month. There will be a theme, we are mastering on each month. Some of the well received topics are

-> Mindful Communication

-> Mindful Movement Practice with Qigong and Tai Chi

-> The four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught by Buddha

-> Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity

-> Mindfulness of Breathing

-> Loving-Kindness and Compassion practice

-> Mindfulness at Workplace

The first hour of the session is dedicated to sitting practice with mindful movement practice or Body Scan practice. There is a coffee break for 15 minutes before the second part of the session. The last 45 minutes is focused on the mastering theme and the discussion.

A light refreshment is provided, and you are welcome to bring some sweats/ fruits to share with the group.

This weekend retreat, which is suitable for beginners and more experienced meditators, teaches mindfulness meditation based on a fusion of traditional Buddhist practice and modern western approaches to health care and education as promoted in the programme of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre.

Venerable Rewatha, a Buddhist monk of thirty-two years standing, has designed aspects of this course to allow those who are interested in learning mindfulness ways of developing mindful skills as an aid to managing stress. Complete beginners are welcome. The course will include both sitting and walking meditation, Dhamma discussions and mindful movement (yoga).

There will also be opportunities for one to one discussions with Venerable Rewatha Thero.

An experience of last year course participant

"This was a memorable weekend in a beautiful and peaceful setting, ideally suited to such an event. Bhante was an inspirational teacher, presenting spiritual and psychological aspects of mindfulness in harmony with one another. He also has a wicked sense of humour! Before arriving I hadn't been sure what to expect but came away committed to continuing my journey into Mindfulness and to work towards being able to teach its benefits to others."

Learning

I think that being taught Mindfulness by some one from the Buddhist traditions adds depth to the experience and I think that if you approach a subject from a different perspective you can gain a more nuanced understanding of it. I am not sure of the concept of moving from 'awareness' to a deeper meditation is in the 8 week course and I failed to pick up on it or if it has come purely from Buddhist training. Either way, it was a new insight for me and I found it very helpful.

Place

I think that setting the workshop on the Holy Isle added a great deal to it as if felt like a nurturing environment. My 8 week course was conducted by and psychologist and physiotherapist in the gym hall of a psychiatric hospital - just not the same ethos. The wonderful food and the knowledge of its organic provenance encouraged me to want to eat mindfully

Pebbles

When we shared our motivations for choosing the pebbles we selected, I conceived of my choice as small so that I could slot easily into my life. On further reflection, I see a motive around keeping Mindfulness small. One of my hopes for the retreat was that it would inspire me to the regular practice I haven't yet attained, I see that if I continue to keep Mindfulness small and unobtrusive then that is not going to happen. Still, by adding the 2 small Holy Isle pebbles to my small 8 week one, I have trebled the Mindful presence - although it may take quite a few retreats before the pile is unavoidable!

Conclusion: although I did not see it on the day, I think the left hand and right hand pebble exercises was though provoking. One pebble signified my resistance to letting Mindfulness be significant, the other the sense of connection I felt with the other course participants (and the Maryhill subgroup).

Walking

My left leg is shorter than my right and the muscles not properly developed which means that I do not walk properly. My right leg compensates for the left's deficiencies and I tend not to pay my disability much attention. Mindful walking drew my attention to it and the emotions around the effect hat it has on my body and mobility. I did not enter into the emotion while on the retreat (too many interesting distractions) but I now have mindful walking as a 'way in' when the time is right to look at those feelings. Thanks for that.

The Glasgow Mindfulness Centre is offering the opportunity to train in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in a course specifically structured for school teachers, in order to enhance their general wellbeing and equip them with the required skills to use Mindfulness effectively with young people.

Stage 1

Learning and practicing Mindfulness - Two months

The participants will complete the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 8 Week Course including a Day of Silent practice.

Certificate

A 21 Hours CPD Certificate will be issued to those who have successfully completed the course.

Fee £200

Stage 2

Embodying and deepening the practice - Four months

After completing the 8 Week Course, the participants are invited to continue their personal practice before they teach Mindfulness.

During this time, you are invited to participate in four two-hour Master Classes on Mindful Communication, Mindful Movement, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and Mindfulness at Work.

These Master Classes are held on first Friday of each month from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

A 2 Hour CPD Certificate for each Master Class will be issued.

Fee £10 per class

Stage 3

Sharing your practice with students – Two months

This two-month programme will support you to teach very short Mindfulness practices in the class room. There are two full day workshops on teaching Mindfulness in the class room.

Work shop one:

Modern research evidence on teaching Mindfulness in the class room.

The Mindfulness courses available for primary and secondary schools. The research papers on evaluating these courses.

Learning and practising Mindfulness lessons with course participants, with the intention of delivering those short practices with your students in the class room. This will help you to get feedback from your peers.

You will deliver these short mindfulness practices as part of your everyday lessons in the classroom for a month.

This will be an excellent opportunity for you to explore how this works with your students.

An 8 Hour CPD certificate will be issued.

Fee £60 (including tea/coffee and lunch)

Workshop two:

This work shop supports you to share your experience with other teachers in learning and teaching Mindfulness in the class room.

You will learn and practice more Mindfulness lessons to use in the classroom and for your own personal development. (Managing work related challengers through loving-kindness and compassion practice)

An 8 Hour CPD certificate will be issued.

Fee £60 (including tea/coffee and lunch)

Stage 4

Becoming a Certified Teacher

The Mindfulness in School Project provides training and certification to deliver courses for Primary and Secondary schools. MiSP is a leading provider of Mindfulness classroom curricula in the UK.

If you are a primary teacher you can deliver Paws b for 7-11 years olds and for secondary teachers. b (pronounced ‘dot-b’ which stand for ‘stop and be’)

This is a four day training course and you will be taught how to deliver the course with work books and PowerPoint presentations provided together with a certificate to deliver the course.

The Course Leader

In Mindfulness Training for Teachers, the Eight Month Course leader is Bhante Rewatha the founder of Glasgow Mindfulness Centre. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Education in Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies from the University of Strathclyde and the Master of Science Degree in Mindfulness Based Approaches (MBSR & MBCT) from the University of Bangor. He has conducted a research project under the supervision of Dr Dusana Dorjee on a Non-Randomized Control Trial Study evaluating the impact of Mindfulness Based Programme on the Emotional Well-Being of Children. Bhante Rewatha has been a Theravada Buddhist Monk for 35 years and a secular Mindfulness teacher for many students and Mindfulness teachers. Bhante has worked as a Head Teacher for a leading Buddhist Monks Training College in Sri Lanka.

This four week course is for professionals (healthcare, education and Business) who would like to use mindfulness for their professional and personal life.

The course is a fusion of MBSR and MBCT. You will be able to learn and practice the core teachings of both mindfulness interventions.

Due to the increasing popularity in mindfulness, more health professionals and educators are trying to learn more about mindfulness and use it as part of their work.

In the business sector, more employers use mindfulness to promote well-being for their employees as it helps them to manage their stress.

Mindfulness for professionals will give you more understanding of what MBSR and MBCT is all about if you would like to obtain professional training in one of these courses in your work place.

As busy people don’t have 8 weeks to complete an MBSR course, this will give them a great opportunity to learn and practice mindfulness in their everyday life and use it as a stress management tool at work.This course pays more attention to stress management and to mindful communication in your work and personal life.

We provide teaching sessions in schools, workplaces and invite small groups to practice mindfulness in the centre.

After completing the course, you will be given a 16 hours CPD certificate.

Glasgow Mindfulness Centre would like to enhance the wellbeing of both students and school teachers through the use of developed and adapted mindfulness training courses for schools.

The mindfulness training courses we provide are the following:

Introduction to Mindfulness course

1-2 hours session which provides evidence-based mindfulness training for both teachers and students. This session also provides information on what is mindfulness, provides a short mindfulness practice and explores benefits of mindfulness training for teachers and students.

Paws.b course

45 minutes mindfulness training course is adapted for primary school students and is delivered over 6 lessons. The lessons explore the role of the brain, how to be in the present moment, how to ground ourselves when we wobble, how to deal with difficulties, how to recognise the power of thoughts and how we can nurture ourselves and others.

Dot b course

.bis a fun, engaging and useful nine-session mindfulness course for students aged 11 to 18 in secondary schools, adapted from the adult courses Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy. It has also been evaluated positively by the University of Cambridge and Oxford Brookes.

8-week mindfulness based stress reduction course for school teachers

Course uses a variety of mindfulness techniques involving awareness of breath and body, and movement exercises. It is widely used in the world for stress management. It is a 2 hour session, delivered over 2 months.

Mindfulness training for teachers

Glasgow mindfulness centre has developed a mindfulness based stress reduction 8 week training course + 6 months, to help provide teachers with the tools necessary to deliver mindfulness training in classrooms.

Our Course Leader

The mindfulness training for teachers and students is delivered by Bhante Rewatha, who is the founder of Glasgow Mindfulness Centre. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Mindfulness Based Approaches (MBSR & MBCT) from the University of Bangor. He has also conducted a research project under the supervision of Dr Dusana Dorjee on a Non-Randomized Control Trial Study evaluating the impact of Mindfulness Based Programme on the Emotional Wellbeing of Children. He has also completed the training for the Teach Paws b training and the Trained To Teach .b program so is qualified to deliver both the paw b program to primary school students and the .b program to secondary school students.

If you would like us to deliver paws.b course, .b course or the other mindfulness training courses at your school, please contact us at